The Top Gospel Music Artists of 2021
Check out our list of the top gospel music artists of 2021. These artists are making waves in the industry and are sure to have a great year ahead!
Kirk Franklin
Kirk Franklin is a gospel music legend. He has been in the music industry for over two decades and has released twelve studio albums. Franklin has won twelve Grammy Awards, and he has also been nominated for an Oscar. He is one of the most successful gospel music artists of all time.
Kirk Franklin’s Biography
Born in Texas in 1970, Kirk Franklin grew up singing in the choir at his local church. After winning a local talent show at the age of 13, he began touring with well-known gospel groups such as The Winans and The Mighty Clouds of Joy. In 1992, he released his debut album with his own group, Kirk Franklin & The Family. The album was an instant success, selling over a million copies and earning several Grammy nominations.
Over the next few years, Franklin continued to release successful albums and singles, becoming one of the most popular gospel artists of all time. He has won multiple Grammy Awards and has been credited with helping to bring contemporary gospel music to a wider audience. In recent years, he has also ventured into other genres such as R&B and hip-hop, collaborating with artists such as Snoop Dogg and Kanye West.
Kirk Franklin’s Music
Kirk Franklin is an American gospel singer, songwriter, choir director, and author. He is known for his Contemporary R&B sound and for leading urban contemporary gospel choirs such as The Family, God’s Property, and One Nation Crew (1NC). Franklin has won numerous awards, including fourteen Grammy Awards. Kirk Franklin was born on January 26, 1971 in Riverside, Texas. His mother, Gertrude, was a gospel singer; his father, Kirk Sr., was a deacon. As a child, he played piano and drums in the church. His mother died when he was nine years old. When he was twelve years old, his father remarried and the family moved to Dallas.
Franklin began singing solos at the age of eight at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Dallas. At the age of twelve, he joined the Mt. Zion mass choir. He began writing music at the age of fourteen. In high school, Kirk Franklin formed a group called Sunday Service Choir which sang on Sundays at local malls; they also entered talent shows and performed at-benefit concerts for churches around the Dallas area. After graduating from high school in 1989, Franklin attended Hampton University in Virginia on a full music scholarship
Kirk Franklin’s Awards
Kirk Franklin has won numerous awards throughout his musical career, including 14 Grammys, 46 Stellar Awards, 20 Dove Awards, 2 American Music Awards, 1 BET Award, 1 NAACP Image Award, and 1 Soul Train Music Award. He is also a New York Times Bestselling author.
Tamela Mann
Known for her powerhouse vocal range and ability to belt out both high and low notes, Tamela Mann is a staple in the gospel music industry. She has been in the business for over two decades and has released eight studio albums. Her latest album, “One Way,” debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart.
Tamela Mann’s Biography
Tamela Mann (born Tamela Jean Cake on June 9, 1966 in Fort Worth, Texas) is an American gospel singer, actress, and comedian. She is best known for her roles in the movies Tyler Perry’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005), Madea’s Big Happy Family (2011), and What Men Want (2019), as well as the television shows Meet the Browns (2009–2011) and David Mann’s Temptation Tour (2007). As a solo artist, she has released seven albums, four of which have charted on the Billboard gospel charts. Her album Best Days debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart in 2012, making her the first gospel artist to debut at number one on that chart in over 20 years.
Tamela Mann’s Music
Tamela Mann is a American gospel singer and songwriter. Tamela began her career singing background vocals for the gospel group Kirk Franklin and the Family. In 2001, she released her breakthrough album Gotta Keep Movin, which earned her a Grammy Award nomination. Her follow-up album, The Master Plan, was released in 2006 and was certified Gold by the RIAA. In 2010, Mann released her third album, Best Days, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart and earned her another Grammy Award nomination. Mann’s fourth album, One Way, was released in 2014 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart. Her fifth and most recent album, Purpose, was released in 2016.
Tamela Mann’s Awards
Tamela Mann has been active in the music industry since 1997, when she released her first album,. She has released a total of 12 albums, 3 of which have gone Platinum and 5 of which have gone Gold. She has also won 4 Grammy Awards, 10 Stellar Gospel Music Awards, 1 BET Award, 1 NAACP Image Award, and 1 Soul Train Music Award.
Tasha Cobbs
Tasha Cobbs is a American gospel singer and songwriter who has released many successful albums. She has won several awards, including a Grammy Award and a BET Award. Her music is popular among both Christians and non-Christians alike.
Tasha Cobbs’ Biography
Tasha Cobbs is an American gospel music singer and songwriter. She started her career with the release of her debut album, “Smile”, in 2007. She has since released three more albums, “The Breakthrough”, “Heart Passion Pursuit” and “One Place Live”. Her latest album, “One Place Live”, was released in 2017. Cobbs has won several awards, including two Grammy Awards and five Dove Awards.
Tasha Cobbs’ Music
Tasha Cobbs is a American gospel singer, songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She began her recording career with the release of debut album Grace in 2013. The album charted on the US Billboard 200 and peaked at number one on the US Top Gospel Albums chart. Her second album, One Place Live, was released in 2015 and debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, becoming the highest charting live gospel album in over a decade.
Cobbs has won several awards throughout her career, including two Grammy Awards, eight Stellar Awards, four Dove Awards, a BET Award and an NAACP Image Award. In 2019, she was inducted into the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
Tasha Cobbs’ Awards
Since Tasha Cobbs’s career began in 2010, she has won several awards, including four Stellar Gospel Music Awards, one Dove Award, one BET Award, one Soul Train Music Award, and two Grammy Awards.
Marvin Sapp
Marvin Sapp is an American Gospel music singer and songwriter. He started his career in music in 2001 with the release of his debut album, “Thirsty”. Sapp is one of the most successful Gospel music artists of all time. He has won multiple Grammy Awards and has had numerous number-one songs on the Gospel music charts.
Marvin Sapp’s Biography
Marvin Sapp (born January 28, 1967) is an American gospel singer, songwriter, musician, record producer and pastor. Sapp is the founder and senior pastor of Lighthouse Full Life Center Church, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Sapp’s career began as a co-founder and lead singer of the Gospel Music Workshop of America (GMWA) national choir. In 1994, he released his debut solo album KYNN KBNN KJazz on Verity Records. It was followed by Always & Forever in 1996 and Marvin’s Room in 2000, both of which were certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Marvin Sapp’s Music
Marvin Sapp is an American gospel singer, songwriter and record producer. He started his musical career as a member of the gospel group Commissioned during the 1990s. In recent years, Sapp has had much success as a solo artist, with several of his albums reaching the top of the Billboard Gospel Albums chart. He has also won multiple Grammy, BET, Dove and Stellar Awards.
Marvin Sapp’s Awards
Marvin Sapp is an American gospel singer, songwriter and record producer. He started his career as a founder and lead singer of the musical group Commissioned during the 1990s. In 2010, Sapp became the senior pastor of Lighthouse Full Life Center Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As a solo artist, Sapp has released eleven studio albums, including one certified platinum by the RIAA and two certified gold. He has also won three Grammy Awards, twenty-seven Stellar Awards, two BET Awards, nine Dove Awards and one Soul Train Music Award.
James Fortune
James Fortune is a American Gospel music artist who is currently signed to the record label eOne Nashville. He has released six studio albums, one live album, and one compilation album. James has had five number-one singles on the Billboard Gospel Songs chart. He has won two Stellar Gospel Music Awards and three Dove Awards.
James Fortune’s Biography
James Orlandis Fortune (born December 11, 1977) is an American gospel singer and songwriter. He is a three-time Grammy Award nominee, two-time Stellar Award winner, and is best known for his hit single “I Believe” which topped the Billboard Gospel chart for twelve consecutive weeks.
Born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, Fortune was raised by his grandparents after his father was killed and his mother was incarcerated. He began singing in his church choir at the age of five. As a teenager, he joined a local R&B group called Lyrical Insight. The group toured regionally and recorded one album before disbanding.
In 2000, Fortune auditioned for the television gospel talent show Sunday Best. He did not win the competition but caught the attention of recording executive Thomas Hayden who offered him a recording contract with his label, Fo Yo Soul Recordings. Fortune’s debut album You Survived was released in 2002. His second album Encore followed in 2005.
In 2006, Fortune scored his first hit single with “I Believe”. The song spent twelve weeks at number one on the Billboard Gospel chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance. His third album James Fortune & FIYA debuted at number one on the Billboard Gospel chart becoming the first album by an independent artist to do so. The album won two Stellar Awards and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album.
Fortune has released five additional albums: Identity (2008), Sincere (2009), Dear Future Me (2011), Identity Thief (2014), and Dream Again (2016). He has also appeared as a guest on several television shows including The Wendy Williams Show, Good Morning America, BET 106 & Park, and Bobby Jones Gospel.
James Fortune’s Music
James Fortune is a gospel music singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his contemporary gospel and R&B style of music. His music is noted for its candid lyrics and focus on social issues.
Fortune began his career as a singer in the choir at his church. He went on to release his debut album, The Transformation in 2002. The album was well-received by critics and earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Gospel Album.
In 2006, Fortune released his second album, I Believe, which debuted at number one on the Billboard gospel chart. The album’s lead single, “I Trust You”, became a huge hit, spending nine weeks at number one on the gospel radio charts.
Fortune has released several other successful albums, including Identity (2010), proverbial (2012), and Live Through It (2014). He has won multiple Stellar Awards and Dove Awards throughout his career. In addition to his musical success, Fortune is also an accomplished entrepreneur. He is the founder of James Fortune & FIYA, an entertainment company that produces music, television, and film projects
James Fortune’s Awards
James Fortune is a contemporary gospel music artist who has received numerous awards for his music. He has won two Grammy Awards, four Stellar Gospel Music Awards, and two Dove Awards. He has also been nominated for five BET Gospel Music Awards and three NAACP Image Awards.
